Verb · irregular
decir
to say, to tell
The thing that catches people out
¿cómo se dice? is how do you say, and it is the question that teaches you the rest of the language. Ask it constantly.
Present
What happens, and what is happening now.
| yo | digo | |
| tú | dices | |
| él, ella, usted | dice | |
| nosotros | decimos | |
| ellos, ustedes | dicen | |
| vosotros, Spain only | decís |
Preterite, the finished past
Something that happened and is over: yesterday, last year, once.
| yo | dije | |
| tú | dijiste | |
| él, ella, usted | dijo | |
| nosotros | dijimos | |
| ellos, ustedes | dijeron | |
| vosotros, Spain only | dijisteis |
Imperfect, the background past
What used to happen, or was going on when something else happened.
| yo | decía | |
| tú | decías | |
| él, ella, usted | decía | |
| nosotros | decíamos | |
| ellos, ustedes | decían | |
| vosotros, Spain only | decíais |
Future
Will do. In conversation, ir a plus the verb is more common: voy a comer.
| yo | diré | |
| tú | dirás | |
| él, ella, usted | dirá | |
| nosotros | diremos | |
| ellos, ustedes | dirán | |
| vosotros, Spain only | diréis |
Present perfect
Have done. Used far more in Spain, where it covers today; most of Latin America uses the preterite there.
| yo | he dicho | |
| tú | has dicho | |
| él, ella, usted | ha dicho | |
| nosotros | hemos dicho | |
| ellos, ustedes | han dicho | |
| vosotros, Spain only | habéis dicho |
Other forms
The -ing form, the form that follows he, has and ha, and how to tell someone to do it.
| -ing form | diciendo | |
| participle | dicho | |
| command, to tú | di | |
| command, to usted | diga |
In a sentence
¿cómo se dice mesa en inglés?
how do you say mesa in English?
dice que sí
he says yes